Chiropractic Better for Sciatica Than Surgery

Dr. Linton works with countless sciatica patients here in our Mt Sterling office, and quite a few of these men and women were concerned that they might require surgery to eliminate their pain. The latest research shows that a large number of people don't require surgery for this prevalent issue, and that chiropractic is more effective at resolving sciatic nerve pain.

A common surgery for sciatica is microdiscectomy, and in a 2010 study, specialists examined 80 women and men with sciatica who were referred for this operation.

Forty patients were then randomly placed in one of two groups. The first group received surgical microdiscectomy and the second group received chiropractic care.

Both groups improved; however, no obvious difference in results was reported one year post-treatment between either group. Furthermore, about 60 percent of the participating subjects who could not find assistance from any other treatment approach "benefited from spinal manipulation to the same degree as if they underwent surgical intervention."

Put another way, chiropractic delivered the same positive advantages as surgery without needing to endure the higher levels of surgery-based pain or suffer through lengthy recovery times often affiliated with that particular treatment method. Plus, you also don't run the risks affiliated with surgical microdiscectomy, such as nerve root damage, bowel or bladder incontinence, bleeding, or infection.

Surgery should be the last resort for sciatica pain. If you live in Mt Sterling and you're experiencing back pain or sciatica, give Dr. Linton a call today at (859) 499-1009. We'll help pinpoint the source of your pain and work hard to get you relief.

References

• McMorland, G et al. Manipulation or microdiskectomy for sciatica? A prospective randomized clinical study. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics 2010;33(8):576-584.
• Solberg TK, Nygaard OP, Sjaavik K, Hofoss D, Ingebrigtsen T. The risk of "getting worse" after lumbar microdiscectomy. European Spine Journal 2005;14(1):49-54.